Protective barrier

ABSTRACT

A barrier for use in protecting workmen against a cave-in while working in a trench, including a pair of spaced upright wall means defining a protective area in which workmen can work. The barrier includes a wheel supporting carriage operable for suspending the spaced upright wall means in a trench so that the wall means can be advanced to selected working positions along the trench. Adjustable strut means is connected between the spaced upright wall means so that the spacing can be adjusted, with the strut means being operable for maintaining the wall means in a set horizontal by spaced relationship during a working operation. The spaced upright wall means includes a plurality of selectively removable sections operable for increasing or decreasing the effective dimensions of the wall means so that the barrier can be utilized in a number of trenches of varying depths.

[ PROTECTIVE BARRIER [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Charter Enterprises, Inc.,

Jonesboro, Ga.

22 Filed: Apr. 13,1972

21 Appl. No.: 243,769

James I. West, Jr., .lonesboro, Ga.

[52] US. Cl. 61/41 A, 61/63 [51] Int. Cl E2l d 19/00 [58] Field of Search 61/41 A, 41, 63, 72.2, 85, 61/45 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,159,978 12/1964 DeLillo 61/41 A 841,773 l/1907 Fitzgerald 61/41 A 977,016 11/1910 Johnson 6l/41 A 2,866,320 12/1958 Bazzell 61/41 A 3,541,799 11/1970 Jost et al 61/41 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 279,732 5/1967 Australia 61/41 A Jan. 29, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A barrier for use in protecting workmen against a cave-in while working in a trench, including a pair of spaced upright wall means defining a protective area in which workmen can work. The barrier includes a wheel supporting carriage operable for suspending the spaced upright wall means in a trench so that the wall means can be advanced to selected working positions along the trench. Adjustable strut means is connected between the spaced upright wall means so that the spacing can be adjusted, with the strut means being operable for maintaining the wall means in a set horizontal by spaced relationship during a working operation. The spaced upright wall means includes a plurality of selectively removable sections operable for increasing or decreasing the effective dimensions of the wall means so that the barrier can be utilized in a number of trenches of varying depths.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PROTECTIVE BARRIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to means for protecting a worker while working in a trench and is more particularly concerned with a selectively movable barrier which can be advanced to selected working positions along a trence to protect workmen against a cave-in.

In providing our expanding population with a number of services, such as sewage disposal systems, water supply systems and energy supply systems, it is often necessary to dig trenches in which conduit means is placed to convey these services. One problem with locating conduit means in a trench is that workmen utilized in the placing of these conduit systems are often endangered or even killed by cave-in of the trench wall.

In the past, workmen have been protected against a cave-in by providing fixed wall shoring means adjacent the trench walls and wedging therebetween a number of horizontal brace means to hold the wall shoring means in spaced relationship to provide a protective area in which a workman can work. The provision of wall shoring and bracing means requires considerable time and increases the cost of the conduit placing operation. Further, additional wall shoring means must be constructed as work progresses along a trench.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above disadvantages have been overcome by the present invention which basically includes a mobile barrier system which can be advanced to selected working positions along the trench and which will provide a protective area in which workmen can work in the trench.

One important feature of the present invention is that the mobile barrier means includes spaced upright wall means constructed of a number of connectable sections permitting the wall beams to be adjusted to accommodate trenches of varying depths.

Another feature of the present invention is that adjustable strut means is provided between the upright wall means for varying the horizontal spacing between the wall means and for holding the wall means in a set horizontally spaced position to define a protective area in which workmen can work.

A further feature of the present invention is that the upright wall means is suspended from a mobile carriage in such a way that the upright wall means can be angularly adjusted during transversing movement of the mobile carriage over uneven terrain.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a mobile barrier means which can be advanced to selected positions along a trench for protecting workmen against a cave-in while working in a trench.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a mobile protective barrier system for use in a trench which is simple in construction and operation, economical to manufacture and reliable in performance.

These and other objects and advantages of the details of construction will become apparent after reading the following description of the illustrative embodiment, with reference to the attached drawings wherein like reference numerals have been used to refer to like parts throughout the several figures, and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a protective barrier embodying the principles of the present invention, with certain parts broken away and shown in section for purpose of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the protective barrier shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view showing the protective barrier supported in a trench;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing one of the protective walls; and,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 showing an add-on wall construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, the protective barrier embodying the principles of the present invention is shown and generally represented by the reference numeral 10. The protective barrier 10 will be described with reference to a wheel carriage means 20 operable for moving the protective barrier to selected positions along a trench in which a working operation is being performed and with reference to spaced upright shield means 50 which are held in horizontally spaced relationship to define a protective area in a trench.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, carriage 20 is constructed to include a horizontally oriented rectangular frame means having a pair of longitudinally extending parallel frame members 21, 22. Frame members 21,22 are joined at their opposite ends by transverse tubular frame members 23,24. Frame members 21-24 are connected to each other by conventional welding means (not shown). Carriage 20 is provided with four wheel assemblies 25. Since each of the wheel assemblies 25 are identical construction, only the details of one wheel assembly will be described. Each of the wheel assemblies 25 includes inflatable wheel means 26 supported by a rotatable axle 27 by a wheel caster means 28. Wheel caster 28 includes a vertically extending pivot shaft (not shown) which is pivotally supported by caster support assembly 29. Extending vertically upward from caster support assembly 29 is an elongated standard 30 which is adjustably supported by a sleeve member 31. Standard 30 is adapted to be secured in an adjusted position relative to sleeve 31 by conventional pin connecting means 32. The four wheel assembly sleeves 31 are provided with horizontally extending cylindrical frame member 33 which are received in opposite ends of the transverse tubular frame member 23, 24 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Cylindrical frame members 33 are adapted to be secured in a horizontally adjusted position relative to tubular members 23, 24 by means of conventional retaining pins 34.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, carriage support means 20 is provided with a pair of upstanding hook members 35, 35 which are operable for receiving conventional hoisting cable means (not shown) utilized for placing the protective barrier 10 in or removing the protective varrier from a trench.

As shown in FIG. 3, carriage 20 is provided with a pair of downwardly extending support plates, only one of which is shown in FIG. 3, and represented by the reference numeral 38. Support plates 38 are attached by conventional means such as welding (not shown) and longitudinally aligned beneath each of the transverse tubular frame members 23, 24 to provide a means for supporting the spaced upright shield means 50, as will be described in more detail hereinbelow.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the protective barrier includes a pair of horizontally spaced upright shield means which are generally represented by the reference numeral 50. Since each of the spaced upright shield means 50 are identical in construction, only one shield means will be described in detail, with like reference numerals being applied to like parts in each of the shield means. Shield means 50 includes a first frame assembly 50a constructed of a pair of horizontally extending vertically spaced parallel frame elements 51, 52 which are interconnected with a pair of horizontally spaced vertically extending parallel frame elements 53, 54. Opposite ends of the horizontal frame elements 51, 52 include curved end portions 51a, 52a, as shown in FIG. 2. A steel mesh wall structure 55 is attached to frame elements 51, 52 by brackets 56. Brackets 56 are secured to the steel mesh 55 and frame elements 51, 52 by conventional welding and nut and bolt connecting means (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, a solid steel plate 57 is secured to the oppositely inwardly curved ends 51a, 52a adjacent the ends of wall structure 55.

Each of the upright shield means 50 is also provided with a second wall construction 60 including two horizontally extending vertically spaced parallel frame elements 61, 62 which are interconnected with two horizontally spaced vertically extending parallel frame elements 63, 64. Frame elements 63, 64 are interconnected with each other by conventional means such as welding (not shown). Frame elements 61, 62 are provided with curved end portions 61a, 62a, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A solid metal wall 65 is attached to frame elements 61-64 by conventional welding means.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wall structures 60 are provided with two horizontally spaced vertically extending support standards 66, 67. Support standards 66, 67 are supported in horizontally spaced, parallel relationship with frame elements 63, 64 by connecting plates 68, 69. Connecting plates 68, 69 are attached to the bottom of frame elements 63, 64 and standards 66, 67, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, upper extended ends of standards 66, 67 are adapted to be telescopically received in the lower ends of vertical frame elements 53, 54. Standards 66, 67 are provided with a plurality of vertically spaced openings and are adapted to be secured in a selected adjusted position relative to frame elements 53, 54 by retaining pins 70.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the horizontally spaced upright shield means 50 are provided with a number of links 81, 82 which are pivotally attached to the upper extended ends of vertical frame members 53, 54, respectively. The upper ends of links 81, 82 are pivotally attached to horizontally extending support rods 83, 84. Support rods 83, 84 are telescopically received within opposite ends of hanger brackets 85. Hanger brackets 85 are provided with a horizontally extending tubular members 86 which receives the support rods 83, 84 and are provided with a pair of upwardly converging frame members 87, 88. Frame members 87, 88 are interconnected at the upper ends by brackets 89. Brackets 89 are provided with aligned openings through which retaining pins 90 are inserted for suspending the upright shield means from carriage 20. The horizontally extending support rods 83, 84 are provided with a plurality of openings (not shown) and are adapted to be secured in a selected adjusted position by conventional retaining pins 91.

The supporting rods 83, 84 will provide for a first degree of horizontal adjustment of the spaced upright shield means 50 and the pivotal connection of links 81, 82 will permit final horizontal adjustment of the spaced upright shield means 50.

As shown in FIG. 3, the spaced upright shield means 50 are adapted to be adjusted to a horizontally spaced set position and are maintained in the set position by a number of screw jack assemblies 100. A screw jack assembly is located at each of the intersections of horizontal frame membersSl, 52 with vertical frame members 53, 54, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The lower wall structures 60 are maintained in horizontally adjusted position by four of the screw jack assemblies 100, one being located between each of the opposite ends of the horizontally extending frame members 61, 62, as shown in FIGS. 13.

Each of the screw jack assemblies 100 includes a tubular portion 101 which is connected to one of the wall structures by a base mounting bracket 102 and is adapted to receive at its opposite end a threaded shaft 103. The extended end of threaded shaft 103 is supported by a mounting bracket 104 on an opposite upright wall means. The screw jack assembly 100 is adapted to be moved and secured in an adjusted position by means of internally threaded adjustment handle 105. The screw jack mounting brackets 102, 104 are provided with conventional pivot mounting means which will permit limited pivotal movement of the screw jack assembly relative to the upright wall means.

The protective barrier 10 can be supplied with additional wall sections 160. The additional wall sections are identical to wall sections 60, except the support standards 66,67 are omitted. The wall sections 160 include a pair of horizontally extending vertically spaced parallel frame elements 161, 162 interconnected with a pair of horizontally spaced vertically extending parallel frame elements 163, 164. A metal plate is attached to the outer surface of the frame elements 161-164. The additional wall sections 160 are adapted to be attached to the bottom of wall structure 60 by inserting an upwardly extending and of vertical frame elements 163,164 into a lower end of vertical frame element 63, 64, respectively. The wall structures 163,164 are adapted to be secured to the wall structure 60 by inserting conventional retaining pins (not shown) through complementary openings formed in the vertical frame elements 63,64, 163 and 164.

OPERATION in utilizing the above described protective barrier in a trench, the complete protective barrier can be moved into position within a trench by attaching conventional hoist connecting means to the supporting books 35, 36 and lowering the complete protective barrier into a trench. However, the protective barrier could be positioned in sections and assembled in the trench.

After the protective barrier has been lowered into position or assembled in the trench, the supporting wheel carriage 20 is moved longitudinally along the trench to a desired working position. When the protective barrier is located at a desired working position, the spaced upright wall means 50 are adjusted outwardly by removing pins 91 and moving rods 83, 84 outwardly until the wall means 50 are in contact with the walls of a trench.

Pins 91 are then reinserted and the screw jack assemblies 100 are adjusted by handles 105 until the spaced upright wall means 50 are in firm contact with the trench wall structures. v

A protective area is provided between the spaced upright wall means 50 and the screw jack assemblies 100 to permit a worker to perform a number of operations while located in the trench without fear of the trench wall caving in. The protective barrier can be moved to an adjusted position along the length of the trench by merely backing off on the screw jack assemblies 100 pushing the carriage means to an adjusted position along the trench to locate the upright wall means in an adjusted working area. After the protective barrier has been removed to an adjusted position relative to the trench, the screw jack assemblies are then operated to move the spaced upright wall means 50 into firm contact with the trench wall so that a worker can perform still other operations along the length of the trench. While a worker is working in a trench, the protective barrier is selectively advanced along the length of the trench and will provide a protective area in which a workman can do work without the fear of the trench walls caving in.

It now becomes apparent that the above described illustrative embodiment of a protective barrier is capable of obtaining the above stated objects and advantages. It is obvious that those skiledd in the art may make modifications in the details of constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A protective barrier for use in protecting a workman in a trench from a cave-in, comprising:

a. a horizontal frame carriage;

b. wheel means mounted on the ends of said frame carriage for supporting said frame carriage in a horizontal position for movement over the ground;

c. spaced opposed shield means suspended from the control portion of said carriage for extending into the trench;

d. said shield means including opposed vertically disposed wall members having outer surfaces for abutting the trench walls throughout the heights of the wall members and having inner walls defining an open work area;

e. vertically disposed cooperating telescoping struts in front of and behind said open area for urging said wall members away from each other.

2. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 including a pair of links respectively pivotally connected to said shield means and pivotally connected to said frame carriage for permitting lateral movement of the respective shield means with respect to said frame carriage.

3. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said wheel means are casters for permitting said frame to be moved longitudinally and laterally along the length of said trench.

4. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said struts are secured to the inside surfaces of said wall members adjacent the lower edges of said wall members for supporting said wall members outwardly of said struts.

5. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said struts are connected to wheel means and the struts cooperating therewith form collars on the ends of said carriage receiving said certain of said struts.

6. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 including an upper wall respectively spaced inwardly of said wall members, certain of said struts being inwardly of said upper walls and supporting said wall members by their lower portions for relative vertical movement of said wall members outside and in overlapping relationship to said upper walls.

7. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein said jack means include a plurality of jacks, one end of each of which is connected to one wall member and the other end of each of which is connected to the opposite wall member.

8. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 including means for adjusting the position of said wheel means laterally and vertically with respect to said carriage.

9. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein said struts telescope together within said open area for ready access by said workmen. 

1. A protective barrier for use in protecting a workman in a trench from a cave-in, comprising: a. a horizontal frame carriage; b. wheel means mounted on the ends of said frame carriage for supporting said frame carriage in a horizontal position for movement over the ground; c. spaced opposed shield means suspended from the control portion of said carriage for extending into the trench; d. said shield means including opposed vertically disposed wall members having outer surfaces for abutting the trench walls throughout the heights of the wall members and having inner walls defining an open work area; e. vertically disposed cooperating telescoping struts carried by said carriage for adjusting the relative vertical positions of said wall members with respect to said wheel means for varying the heights at which said shield means are suspended in the trench without effecting the areas of the outer surfaces exposed to the trench walls; f. means for locking said telescoping struts in prescribed positions with respect to each other; and g. jack means extending between said wall members in front of and behind said open area for urging said wall members away from each other.
 2. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 including a pair of links respectively pivotally connected to said shield means and pivotally connected to said frame carriage for permitting lateral movement of the respective shield means with respect to said frame carriage.
 3. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said wheel means are casters for permitting said frame to be moved longitudinally and laterally along the length of said trench.
 4. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said struts are secured to the inside surfaces of said wall members adjacent the lower edges of said wall members for supporting said wall members outwardly of said struts.
 5. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said struts are connected to wheel means and the struts cooperating therewith form collars on the ends of said carriage receiving said certain of said struts.
 6. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 including an upper wall respectively spaced inwardly of said wall members, certain of said struts being inwardly of said upper walls and supporting said wall members by their lower portions for relative vertical movement of said wall members outside and in overlapping relationship to said upper walls.
 7. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein said jack means include a plurality of jacks, one end of each of which is connected to one wall member and the other end of each of which is connected to the opposite wall member.
 8. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 including means for adjusting the position of said wheel means laterally and vertically with respect to said carriage.
 9. The protective barrier defined in claim 1 wherein said struts telescope together within said open area for ready access by said workmen. 